Capítulo 12: Danzō
Morning arrived in Konoha, bringing with it a palpable tension that spread from the Hokage's office to the farthest corners of the village.
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura gathered, their faces showing the weight of a sleepless night.
Hiruzen, with deep bags under his eyes, rubbed his temples as he lit a new pipe.
"I spent all night reviewing the information about Luo Lei," he began in a tired voice. "And I found nothing. Nothing that could explain this. Until yesterday, I would have sworn he was the perfect example of the Will of Fire."
Koharu and Homura exchanged grim looks. It was evident that they too had spent the night pondering the matter.
"We all know what happened," he continued, his tone becoming more serious. "Luo Lei not only annihilated an elite team from Suna, but now he accuses Root of conspiracy. And most disconcertingly: Danzō and Orochimaru signed that report."
"How...?" Koharu spat angrily. "How can Luo Lei accuse Root without evidence? Has he lost his mind?!"
Homura intervened. "Whatever is happening, Luo Lei hid his true strength from us. That, in itself, deserves punishment. Perhaps Orochimaru and Danzō were tricked into signing that paper."
"And what about Danzō?" asked Koharu, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why would he take the blame so easily? He's putting all the weight on Root."
As they spoke, Koharu shot an accusing look at Homura. The unasked question hung in the air: Was there a secret agreement between Homura and Danzō?
"Everything I've done has been for Konoha!" Homura defended himself. "If it weren't for my actions, how would we have discovered Luo Lei's true strength?"
"Enough!" Hiruzen's voice silenced them. "Don't you see? Luo Lei knows perfectly well it wasn't Root. He's deliberately provoking us." He paused, his eyes scanning his companions. "The report, Orochimaru and Danzō's signatures... it's a show of power. He's trying to force us to reach an agreement on his terms."
They looked at each other, concern evident on their faces. "This is a big problem," Koharu murmured.
"Does he really think we're that useless?" Homura added, indignation in his voice.
But before anyone could add anything else, a knock on the door broke the tension.
Knock knock.
The three elders turned towards the door, their bodies tensing instinctively. Who could it be at this hour?
"Come in," Hiruzen ordered.
The door opened, revealing an ANBU who entered hastily. "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzō has returned," he reported urgently.
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura exchanged looks of surprise. "Bring him in immediately," Hiruzen ordered.
Minutes later, four Root ninjas enter carrying a stretcher.
On it lies Danzō, his body almost completely wrapped in white bandages.
Hiruzen's eyes widen at the sight. "What the hell happened?" he muttered.
Koharu stepped forward cautiously. "Danzō, what have they done to you?"
Homura, apparently the most affected, approached the stretcher. "Danzō, old friend, how did this happen?"
Danzō's eyes open slowly, his gaze fixed on Homura. When he speaks, his voice is weak but charged with barely contained fury. "I-It was you, wasn't it, Homura? Y-You leaked the information about Luo Lei's mission to Sunagakure."
Taken by surprise, Homura steps back. "I-I... don't know what you're talking about," he stammers, but the guilt is evident in his eyes.
The tension in the room became palpable. Danzō, with visible effort, raises his left arm. For a moment, it seemed he was going to point accusingly at Homura.
But then...
CRACK!
The sound of the slap resonates in the office.
Danzō, ignoring the pain coursing through his body, hit Homura with all his remaining strength.
"DAMN BASTARD!" he shouted hoarsely. "You let me take all the blame! I had to humiliate myself before that monster, begging for mercy while he broke my bones!"
Homura stumbles backward, his hand on his cheek, eyes wide with surprise. "Danzō, I..."
But he wasn't finished. His eyes burn with a mixture of pain, anger, and betrayal. "Everything I've done, everything I've endured, has been for Konoha! And this is how you repay me?"
Hiruzen and Koharu observed the scene, astonished. They had never seen Danzō lose control like this.
"Danzō, please, calm down," Hiruzen intervened, concerned. "You're hurt, you need to rest..."
"Calm down?" Danzō interrupts. Coughing violently, staining the bandages with drops of blood.
"Hiruzen, you asked me to take the blame and look how I ended up. If I don't hit this traitor," he points at Homura with a trembling finger, "how am I going to alleviate this anger that consumes me?"
Hiruzen's eyes widen, understanding hitting him like a punch to the stomach. "Wait... Luo Lei did this to you? He beat you?!"
Koharu also chimed in, her voice trembling with indignation. "How dare he?! How could Luo Lei commit such a crime against a leader of Konoha?"
Danzō lets out a bitter laugh that soon turns into another painful cough. "Didn't you read the report? The one Luo Lei wrote and I... had to approve?"
Hiruzen nods slowly. "Yes, we read it. It accuses Root of conspiring with Sunagakure. And you signed it."
"Yes, Danzō, why did you do it?" exclaimed Homura, his cheek still red from the blow. "Where is your pride as a leader of Konoha? You let a young shinobi dictate terms to you? Does Root mean nothing to you?!"
"SHUT UP!" he roared, fury giving him momentary strength. "You think I wanted to do it? Luo Lei's strength... is something you can't imagine. I had to yield strategically to live and fight another day."
An uncomfortable silence falls over the room. Koharu, sensing the tension, intervened: "Danzō, tell us exactly what happened at the camp."
He gestures to one of the Root ninja accompanying him. The Root ninja steps forward and begins to recount the events at Kikyoyama.
As the story unfolds, Hiruzen's face goes from seriousness to horror. His pipe, forgotten, hangs loosely from his lips.
Suddenly, a crunch breaks the silence: the pipe has broken in two under the unconscious pressure of his hand.
But no one notices. Koharu and Homura are equally paralyzed, their faces reflecting terror and disbelief at what they're hearing.
________
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